Improved apparatus for preparing peat



S. l/lARDENI 2 SheetYs--Sheet l1.

Peat Machine.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

`S. MARDEN.

`Peat Machine.

Ptented May 1866.

WHA/fists:

Nv PETERS. Pholo-Lithogmphen washingxon, D. C4

Uirn' v atterri Fries.

AND DUSTIN LANGEY, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREPARING PEAT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,205, dated May 29, 1866.

To alt whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MARDEN, of Newton,'in the county ot' Middlesex and State ot' Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Peat-IVIachine and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part otl this specification, oi' which- Figure l is a top view of plan of the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal and central section of the same. Fi g. 5 is a vertical and transverse section of the same. Fig. 6 is a section of one conduit and cylinder. Fig. 7 is a section ot' the cylinder. Fig. 8 is a section of the clutch.

A represents the frame otl the machine 5 a, its driving-shaft; b, its driving pinion, and c gear tixed on clutch-shaft d c, the clutch 5 f, its loose or sliding' portion; g, its fork-lever; gf', its bent arm or stud, and g2 its spring; M, its beari n gs; j, tripping-cam, forming one extremity ot' toggle lc; Z, the other toggle; m, chain connecting joint of toggles with loose portion j of clutch 5 n, pulley on which chain turns; n2, weight; '0, hopper; 19, its bowl; p3, conduit connecting' it with cylinder; q, its breaker; o', breaker-shaft 5 s, beveled pinion on shaft r; t, beveled gear on driving-shaft a; u, compressing-plunger5 n, its cross-head 5 w, its joint with toggle l; a', chambered cylinder; y g/ y, 85e., its chambers; z, its holding-spring 5 a cd, &c., its notches for teat ot' spring to tit into; c c c', Ste., its turning studs or teeth; d', reciprocating lever for turning cylinder; e', its vertical slider or actuater with notch in its top; j", i'ulcrum of lever cl; g3, tripping-wheel on outer extremity of clutch-shaft; L, its tripping-stud; tf, tripping-lever, connected with lever d. by pitinan j; jz, its fuleruin 7s', retracting-spring Z, expellin g-plunger 5 m, discharging-opening in -trame A to correspond or operate with plunger Z.

In order that others may understand the nature and use of my invention and be enabled to construct the same, I will proceed to explain.

Peat is an article of merchandise and its use Well known. When taken from the bog it is porous, bulky, and very much like a sponge. To reduce it to a more solid and merchantable form and in a cheap and expeditious way is the object of my invention.

To illustrate -the motive power of the machine as seen in the accompanying drawings, I have made use of the crank applied to the driving-shaft c. Any motive power, as horsepower or steam, of course, may be applied. llhe machine is of any convenient size, and made of wood and iron or any suitable metal or material.

To operate the machine, take the peat from the bog, moist and wet as it is, and throw it into the hopper 0. The revolution of the breaker q, it being furnished with teeth, as also is the hopper, breaks up or grinds the unshapen mass to a paste, and this Jfalls down by the grooves in the breaker into the bowl p; and it will be perceived that the bowl is peribrated with numerous holes. Through these the mass falls, through the conduit p3, into the condensing-cylinder, as seen in Fig. 5, where each stroke otl the compressing-plunger drives the mass through into the chambered cylinder x. This chambered cylinder revolves. It has four chambers, (more may be made at pleasure by constructing the machine correspondingly,) and as the compressing-plunger drives the mass into one chamber ot' the cylinder theexpelling-plunger l drives a similar mass from another chamber through the openingg/ and from the machine. The great pressure brought to bear upon the mass by the compressing-plunger causes it to cohere strongly, and at the same time the water is expressed and escapes through holes in the cylinder.

By examining Figs. 1,2, and 3 of the accom.-

panying drawings it will be perceived that two separate motions are communicated at the same time by the driving-shaft a. The driving-pinion b gives motion to the tixed gearwheel c, which is fastened to one extremity of the clutch-shaft d. The revolution ot' the clutch-shaft winds the chain at the end which is attached to the sliding portion of the clutch,

and one revolution straightens the arms of the toggles, which communicates motion both to the drivin g-plun ger and the expelling-plunger at the same time. Also, by one revolution of the clutch-shaft the chain is wound once around the sliding portion of the clutch, and at the same time, by raising the toggles, causes the tripping-cam to act upon the bent arm g of the forked lever g, which slides it backward, and this sliding backward of the lever causes the clutch to slip, and the chain is immediately unwound and the toggles spring back to the positions seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and the machine is ready to repeattherevolution \lt will be perceived by examining Fig. l that tle forked lever g has a peculiar motion.` Itis attached bythe bearings h i to the frame of the machine. These bearings are movable both on the screws attached to th frame and the rivets/fastened to the leve The bent arm of the lever is also kept in its place by thespring g2. It will be seen, also, that the compressingplunger has a cross-head, QJ, which in its driving motion also drives the expelling-plun ger l. The revolution of the clutch-shaft also causes the tripping-Wheel g3, on its outer extremity, to revolve, and its tripping-stud elevates the reciprocating lever at the end passing over it, which communicates motion at its other extremity, through thepitman j" and the tripping-lever t', to the vertical slider or actuator e. This actuator has a notch on its top, which its onto the studs c c c of the cylinder, and the motion communicated lifts or pushes along the cylinder one notch at cach revolution of the trippin g-wheel. lt also has a retracting-sprin g, lc', which keeps the actuator in place. These are the motions communicated by the drivingpinion b.

At the other extremity of the shaft a is fastened the beveled gear t, which drives the beveled pinion s, which is on the shaft r. This shaft r causes the breaker to revolve from the motion communicated to it by thebeveled gear at the extremity of the driving-shaft a. The appearance of this portion of the machine is clearly indicated by examining the vertical and transverse section thereof, as seen in Fig. 5.

Having thus shown the construction and operation of the machine, I claim that it is novel, more simple, less likely to get out of order, performs its work with greater rapidity, and leaves the article in better inerchantable Vorder than any peat-machine now in use. It

may be driven with horse-power or steam-power or any sufficient force to perform the work.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination and arrangement of the corrugated or grooved breaker q,pin connection with the perforated bowl at the bot-tom of the hopper.

2. rlhe revolving chambered cylinder :10, combined with the compressing-plunger u and the expelling-plunger l.

3. The combination ot lhevlever d', the pitman j', the tripping-lever i', and the vertical slider or actuatorl e', connected with the cylinder as above arranged and described.

4. r[he combination and arrangement of the forked lever g as connected with the frame A.

SAML. MARDEN.

Witnesses:

J. L. NEWTON, E. R. DRAKE. 

